Review responses:
GamecubeGirl1: Tylor's in Red Earth, the last chapter introduces him. I liked that dolphin Kratos thought too, that's why I wrote it. I guess even Kratos has a few soft spots huh?
FallenStarAngel: He's a mix of my Creative Writing teacher and someone I knew when I was younger. The hostility between him and Marche is based off of the rather choppy relationship between me and a ultra-conservative religious artist that used to be my beta reader.. He stopped shortly after this fic guess I finally went to far in questioning religion in this story. Any way Tylor's mine. 100 based off my life-experience-imagination hodgepodge twisted mind. I liked giving Chocolat some backbone I hate the "helpless" types of maidens that don't do anything for themselves. Yes there will be a scene, the final chapter in this set is going to occur at a night in PalmaCosta, and a lot's going to happen, one of them is a scene with Genis and Cocao. And that's alright, a lot of people really do accept a religion as there own and don't understand that none believers would not find comfort in the symbols the said religion is made up of. Think of it this way, better to learn it now, then later. I never thought of my story having hidden morals, guess It'll resonate differently with each different reader hmm... resonate... Yes (you need to stop being psychic you almost seem to know my story before I write it lol) the university will occur in just a bit (AKA keep reading) thanks for your high quality reviews!
Eevetta: I think in Asguard all will be made clear about the oath, it's a bit of a wait but I figure it'll be worth it.
Lil-Samuu: This coming from an author who's storys I so admire I take that as a very high compliment. Thank you, and here's a little more of the fic.
Melody of Shadow: Hence "fluff" chapter warning lol. Yeah the religion of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will actually be different; hopefully you'll see the differences when that time comes. I love filling in plot holes hence why I write fanfiction. Well thanks... and was Kratos that obvious? Yeah I'm floored with the amount of review's I'm getting, it blows my mind away just how many people are liking this!
A/N: A light beginning, dark hintings, and an end in starless shadows. Lots of Raine Genis moments, some Kratos Lloyd bonding, and one heck of a fight that will define a lot of the relationship between Raine and Kratos and Kratos Genis interactions… In response to questions some thread explaination and mana stuff is in detail. With the way things are looking I may need to bump up the ranking, some ideas on that would be appreciated since I'm bad about self raking. Everything's done on my PalmaCosta outline save the extra's so I'll get those in next chapter and Finally they'll be off and on the road which introduces the charming reality of time/travel difficulties… Wish me luck and enjoy this chapter.
Kasan Soulblade
Chapter 11
PalmaCosta part2
Of threads and other things
The gulls wheeled above, there wings whispered against the winds, there beaks open to spill out high pitched cries. The winds also carried not so pure sounds of Lloyd cursing. He handed ten gald over to the priest and ten to Kratos, the way things were going he'd never have enough to buy anything ever again. This was going to be there last game, well in Lloyd's case it was going to be his last game, if Tylor and Kratos kept going at it he'd just watch, the game was just getting too costly for him. Sailors who had boats on this dock rolled there eyes, walked around as black clad mercenary, snowy white clad priest, and the red clad Iselian swordsman. As Kratos put it when Lloyd cut the first hands, it seemed like a mad mans fancy that a man who dealt death, a child, and a priest would all be playing cards together. Poker no less, Tylor had added, wallowing in sin and gambling what a picture they all made. They'd all chuckled and they went back to playing... Well Tylor and Kratos did, Lloyd went back to losing. Looking over his cards Lloyd stopped breathing, made a squeaky sound and with a muttered "all in" tossed his whole money pouch on the pile.
Kratos rose an eyebrow, ordered him to take his pouch out. Lloyd ignored him, eyes wide as he just stared at his hand. Kratos repeated himself, and getting no response spared a glance at the priest. Tylor was frowning, a rare sight indeed, and looked to be counting something in his head and was not liking the sum.
"Out." The priest turned his hand over, and it was a good thing he forfeited because his hand was better then Kratos', the mercenary would have lost a bit of glad had he pushed his bluff.
Kratos looked at his hand. Frankly it was a crappy hand, only worth a handful of points, and the fact that Lloyd was practically drooling over his hand said one thing. It was a royal hand, with the monarchs of blade, staff, flame, and cross on each of his cards the swordsman who was incapable of bluff had gotten phenomenally lucky. Counting his twenty gald as lost Kratos turned over his cards with a sigh.
"Out"
"Really, wow I won it all back!" Lloyd chirped, putting down his cards so that they still couldn't see them. Taking the gald the swordsman grinned at both adults, and slowly counted up his money. Humming a little tune Lloyd leaned against a post that jutted out from the dock.
"Oh for the love of Martel let's see it!"
"See what?" Lloyd's lips curled into an over innocent smile.
"The cards, your hand!"
Kratos took Lloyd's cards and turned them over, it was a mismatch of suits and numbers. It came to a grand total of zero points.
"I believe we've both been had." Kratos said as he showed the cards to the priest.
"Damnit Lloyd, what have I told you about lying in this game?"
"It's called bluffing, and dwarvish vow number seventy eight, have fun, play lots, and 'win' lots."
"Not those again!" Tylor groaned, "Dirk was bad enough all on his own, then you came along and now there are two of you running around quoting those things."
Lloyd merely stuck out his tongue and Kratos snorted at the show of childishness.
Another hand was cut, and Lloyd shook his head, after that last gamble he had enough of the game it seemed.
"So, Lloyd mentioned you were a teacher in Iselia..."
"Woah... small talk from you, the world's ending!"
"Let's hope not young one. Yes I was, what of it?" Kratos shrugged, and at the gesture Tylor snorted. "Mr. Aurion, no offense but the fine art of conversation has eluded you."
"Like a person would avoid the plague." Kratos admitted, falling back on his brooding stare that seemed to pull information from people's heads.
"I was the teacher, certainly my long list of lessons and lecturing wouldn't interest you since you seem to have the manner of a man who's been handed some education of some kind."
"Self taught." Kratos explained, and Tylor whistled.
"Damn.. I never would have guessed, you almost act like a professor from the university... well except you don't flaunt it of course but..."
"Tylor, how can you tell, I mean Kratos could just be acting smart..." At Kratos' glare of death Lloyd dropped the trail of thought.
"It's how he talks, people with education put there words together differently then you and I. There's always this hint of structure and planning, and they tend to use long words and avoid contractions."
"How's contro... contra... How's that important?"
"Contractions," Kratos corrected. "Where did you learn how to talk?"
"Where'd you learn to be a jerk, is there a school for that?" Lloyd countered rather lamely.
"Excuse me?" Kratos rose an eyebrow, but there was a hint of fire under his tone that made Lloyd think longingly of going back to the temple and getting into a fight with Marche.
"Lloyd, you must respect your elders, he was correcting you, not bullying, appologize."
"It sounded like..."
"He was being snippy, yes." Tylor ignored the lesser version of the death glare that went his way. "But he had a point, now then you can either apologize or I can fetch a black board, which is it going to be?"
Wincing Lloyd muttered something under his breath.
"I'm sorry, my hearing's not quite what it used to be, age and all that, what was that?"
"I'm sorry..."
"For?" Tylor crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave a stern glare that made Lloyd writhe in discomfort.
"Calling you a jerk, it wont happen again..."
"It best not, or you'll be writing that out a hundred times, and if it happens again after that it will be a thousand."
"Yes sir,"
"Something's don't change I see..." Tylor rolled his eyes. "You've always had trouble with authority."
"Humph…" Kratos gave Lloyd a long look, and between Kratos and Tylor Lloyd was starting to feel like a window. "I accept your apology."
Grudgingly, Tylor mouthed once the mercenary's back was turned. Lloyd bit his lip to keep from laughing; if he had trouble with authority it was easy to see where he picked it up from.
"So, you have the cards, cut our hands already, stop beating around the bush, and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Much too there surprise Kratos did so, and they spent the next hour in easy conversation all the while playing cards and ignoring the glares of those around them.
xxx xxx xxx xxx
"No way!" Lloyd stared at Tylor. "Dad would have told me about that!"
"It's a point of shame for him, the fact you kept running away looking for your blood family isn't something that he likes to remember. You stopped after about two years of living with him... I'll admit that it gave us a break since only your father and I were the only ones who ever took your disappearances seriously. I personally think that Erik hoped we'd come back with news of you dead, you were as much a shame to him as you were to your dwarf father in those days."
Lloyd felt like his mouth was hanging open and it never would have closed again.
"Erik wanted to take you in as his own, thought that Dirk was completely unsuited to rear you and half the town agreed with him." Tylor frowned at his cards as if they had said those things. "The other half didn't care. You know how much the church preaches human superiority, that's where the belief came from. I doubt you remember but I actually found you on your first attempt to run away, and it was a good thing I did too. That snake almost did you in. Regardless Dirk asked 'you' if you wanted to stay with him or the mayor, and you openly picked Dirk in front of a crowd of the townspeople. Erik lost a lot of face that day, you hit his pride hard, and from how Ivan and Erik treated you your actions haven't been forgotten."
"He was what, five?"
Tylor shrugged, and Lloyd blinked at the vehemence in Kratos' tone.
"Trust me, you don't know those two, they hold grudges forever." Lloyd offered Tylor his water skin and the priest took a sip. "And you know how much of a bas-" Tylor scowled and Lloyd coughed. "...jerk Ivan can be."
Looking up Tylor grimaced. "Ah me... trouble... here hold these for me."
Tylor thrust the deck of cards into Kratos' hand. A shadow fell upon Lloyd and thinking it was a sailor he lolled his head back against the pillar and looked up. A very old but stern face looked down at him. The face curled into a sneer, it was a priest, he wore robes of white silk and the ribbon that was draped over his shoulders to indicate the burdens of humanity that he carried was crimson.
"Most Holy Voice of Martel," Tylor bowed, and despite himself Lloyd grimaced at the sight. "I am humbled in your presence."
"As it should be, Father Tylor. Tell me, where were you during this afternoon's service?"
"Aiding Colette."
"Colette?" An eyebrow rose, while silence fell between the two priests there was something spoken, something hostile.
"The Chosen, if you want to call her that, I've always liked Catling personally."
The older man ignored that. "And will you be gracing us with your presence for the evening's services?" He said in a nasty voice.
"If Catling doesn't need me to help her around town, and if I'm not busy with the duties the Holy Circle of Martel thrust upon me, then yes."
"And what is this sin I see before me?" The old man eyed Kratos coldly, and the mercenary returned ice for ice. Lloyd was surprised he couldn't see his breath it was that cold between the two.
"He is a conmen man not a priest, so his little foray into vice isn't something that the church should concern itself with." Tylor said calmly, and the snowy gaze from the old man snapped onto him.
"Your opinion is of little concern to me Father Tylor. All sin is the concern of the church, after all we bear it's weight, to us it is a yoke which rests on the ox's shoulders." The old man lectured, stroking the length of crimson fabric, there was gold embroidery on it, hints of symbols could be seen in the folded cloth. If that was a yoke, Lloyd thought to himself, then it's an almost none existent one. "Tell me are you a follower of the true ways?"
Kratos made a scornful sound in his throat and shuffled the cards, which seemed answer enough to the old man. Lips curling in a sneer he turned to Lloyd. At that Tylor frowned and Kratos stiffened. The old man stared at the black fabric that wound around Lloyd's hand and hid his mother's momento.
"Most Holy..."
"Your silence is required now Father. Tell me young man, did you know black is an unholy color?" The older man knelt, stared at Lloyd in the eyes with his black orbs. They flickered in the sunlight, caught the light and reflected it in shattered fragments. Shivering, thinking of a bug's eyes Lloyd drew back, or tried to. Thin fingers stroked his arm, like the caress of a praying mantis before the claws dig in and kill a bug. Lloyd jerked his arm back so fast he nearly upset the priests balance. That didn't stop him from shoving his arm behind his back however.
"I didn't know that." Lloyd sat on his hand and the priest's eyes burned into him for being denied. Shivering the swordsman felt his voice quake right along with his body. He could see a praying mantis in his head, the first he'd ever seen before; its hands bowed in reverence, seeped in red, ripping, tearing, into the flesh of a small baby field mouse. "But then I don't follow your church either so it's not like I care."
"You spend your time with heretics Father?" Was all the old man said as he got to his feet.
"They travel with Colette." And for some funny reason Tylor seemed smug when he said that. "They are her friends."
"Watch your tongue Father, it drips the venom of sacrilege."
"I speak the truth, ask her if you feel like it."
"One does not put questions to the Chosen of the One."
"Then one doesn't get an answer does he?"
The man only glared, and it would have broken weaker men then Tylor. Reaching out with his talking staff the old priest snagged the end of Tylor's cascot with the silver tip and with a flick of the staff sent it to the wooden dock. There was a long moment when the priests glared at each other. Then Tylor picked up the green fabric and slung it over his shoulders, and something of the motion seemed defiant. Grimly the older man lifted his staff, set the tip right to Tylor's nose.
"I'm waiting and watching, the second your break your oath I'll be there, and this..." He tapped the dirty cascot. "Wont be so easy for you to reclaim then picking it out of a puddle."
Tylor, still kneeling, shrugged. Sputtering the old man walked off and Tylor made a face to his back.
"There's an Erik in every town isn't there?"
"Yes," Tylor stroked the filthy fabric. "And unfortunately they like power, so they tend to get it. But don't forget he's one man Lloyd, just one out of a hundred thousand, there's one Erik in every town but there are hundreds of non-Erik's everywhere else."
xxx xxx xxx xxx
Blushing Colette joined them. She had been speaking for a while in the language that no one understood, but her words, whatever they might be soothed the crowd. Genis felt for her, he'd be so scared if he had to talk in front of everyone. Lloyd's friend Tylor had been whispering a running translation of Colette's words for then, and it was then Genis decided that for a human Tylor was nice. He hugged Colette, who he kept calling kitty...catling... something cat... and kept his promise to them. He took them to the university despite how Kratos kept hinting that he needed to go somewhere else. At the feet of the great college, at the massive stairs leading up Tylor gave Colette a parting hug, Lloyd a parting pat on the back, and Genis a wink.
"You'll do fine kiddo... I'm just more worried about the professor's laughing themselves to death when they get Lloyd's answers."
"Ouch..." Lloyd muttered. "I'm not as bad as I was before Tylor, honest."
"Sure you aren't..." Tylor knelt down and said in Genis' ear in a conspirator's manner. "He wrote down for when was the Kharlan War: A long time before I was born. Did that when he was eight... I doubt the answers changed since then."
Recalling how Raine had started laughing when she read Lloyd's general knowledge exam Genis figured it hadn't changed either.
Without another word Tylor jingled off down the street, humming a hymn under his breath he jingled back to the temple to disturb the holy silence with those bells of his. That wasn't right... but knowing Tylor it didn't seem all that bad. Taking a deep breath Genis gripped the letter, not having the guts to open it himself and read it, and praying that he passed he went to the door and moved to push it open.
It wasn't that kind of door though, you had to pull it open, and flushing at his mistake as he realized it Genis gave it a tug and slipped inside. He was surprised, no flabbergasted when Lloyd came in with him, and Raine, and Colette... and even Kratos.
"You really don't have to come I mean..." Genis was blushing, feeling flustered and a bit lost. Everyone else here that he could see going up and down the stairs was older then him and he was feeling rather small and insignificant right then.
"Oh come on, you think we're gunna let you take that entrance exam all by-"
"What's that I hear? Entrance exam, I say the candy store is down the street little boy, you best go there."
"Excuse me?" Lloyd growled, looking up at two students that were his age and were giving Genis a nasty look.
"Lloyd, don't get into a fight, please, I'll deal with this!" Genis gripped his friend's arm, hoping, praying...
"Alright." Lloyd backed off. "If that's what you want OK."
"Thanks."
"Wow, the education standards must have dropped if this is how common rabble talks."
"Lay off!" Genis growled, glaring up at them. "Not everyone likes to flaunt the fact that they possess a large vocabulary all the time. If you use lengthy words to explain simple concepts you start to look like a pompous egomaniac after a span."
"I just did not understand that but go get 'em Genis!"
"Ever hear of the saying birds of a feather?"
"Yeah, wow that makes you and your friends a pretty cocky bunch then doesn't it?"
"Why you little!"
"Whoa there Buddy, let me deal with this." The group of students parted to reveal someone who looked to be fourteen and had buck teeth. "Name's Mighty, and if you pass my test I'll let you go see the Dean, how's that?"
"Alright." Gripping the letter Genis gathered his courage.
"In this school we specialize in subject, I'm an English major, Buddy's a Math, Frank's a History... so here's the deal I give you a test, they give you a test, and then you get to take the big test. You get a black board for the math, got that?"
"Nothing easier."
"Heh that's what they all say. Bud get the shrimp a board would you." Flashing his tooth lacking smile Mighty rubbed his hands together. "Blank is to blank... Three options."
"I know how that works."
"Good cuz I wasn't going to explain.
Wisdom is to sagacity as
water is to fire,
sand is to Gnome,
cloud is to Sylph."
"The second option."
"Number two... tell me you've read the 'Analysis of Spiritua Ethics'."
"When I was eight."
"Cute, OK then shrimp, explain quickly what the main ramification of the twenty second decree of the Goddess."
"There were two, the establishment of the Houses' of Salvation in wild areas and the founding of the cathedral of Voices in this city."
"Impressive... and Bud is here boards and all so we will just step right along now wont we?"
Taking the boards in his hands he waited as the student indicated flipped through a booklet and began to read an algebraic equation of the fifth order.
xxx xxx xxx
"You're good, I'll give you that pointy ears."
"It's Genis." The sorcerer growled.
"You get your name when you pass the main exam. The dean said he's making the questions so you get to study, in that room over there. We'll come for you when the time comes. Nice knowing you shrimplet." Patting Genis' head Mighty walked off, his chuckle trailing behind him like a ghost.
"Ah this is why I hate formal education settings." Kratos muttered under his breath. "I'd almost forgotten..."
"We all have to take the test?"
"Yes, all." Kratos gave Lloyd a look and Lloyd looked like he wanted to hide under the floor boards. Genis smiled at his friend.
"I know you'll at least get a D Lloyd, you wont fail after all I've been tutoring you too!"
"Don't worry Lloyd I know you'll do better then before, Kratos and Raine have been teaching you!"
"Yeah... I know..." Lloyd looked like he wanted to pass away rather then be on the receiving end of Kratos' wraith after the test. Genis knew what Lloyd was thinking. Lloyd could out run Raine, it was a proven fact, but Kratos was as fast as Lloyd, and in a strange town where he didn't know his way around Kratos would catch him when Lloyd made a bolt for it. "I'm well aware."
Poor Lloyd, Kratos was going to skin him alive after he failed. But Lloyd was risking Kratos' rage, Raine's rage, and Colette's disappointment because he wanted to give support to Genis. Knowing that made a warm spot in his chest flare up and set a sweet rush of confidence through him. He'd pass, he'd do better then Mighty and all his friends, better then Raine if he had... Well not better then his Sis but he'd do his best for Lloyd and for himself too.
xxx xxx xxx
"Professor, what's an ar-gu-ment-ov-?"
"Argumentative." Kratos snapped, putting a dot on the final line of his essay. "If you don't know skip it for now and go back to it... Wait... Does the line read "Compose an argumentative essay stating the value of currency in the shaping of society?"
"No."
"There's a comfort."
"It says "compose an argumentative essay explaining the pro's and con's of wildlife conservation."
"Gods... why..." Kratos groaned lowered his head into his hands.
"Welcome to my world Mr. Aurion." Raine sighed. "When they give out the test why don't you ask them to let you skip the essay questions Lloyd?"
"Alright."
"What does argumentative sound like..." Kratos said from behind his screen of hands.
"Argument?" Lloyd offered, wondering what the bid deal was. No one else was surprised or even seemed to care that he didn't know. "Why?"
"Which means?"
"Compose a fight essay explaining the pro's and con's of... That doesn't make sense, anyway it's not like I even know what the rest of this stuff means."
"Maybe you should skip the intermediate language section Lloyd..." Genis offered weakly.
"This is what happens when you sleep in class all the time Lloyd." Riane scolded, the lecture was half hearted however and it was almost as old as Lloyd was.
"What does it mean?" He pointed at the question and Raine gave up with a sigh.
"You have to explain why keeping wild area's is good or bad."
"Oh why don't they just say that?"
"Well you have to write a minimum of five paragraphs explaining that's what argumentative essays are made of."
"Para-graph?"
"Good Martel..." Raine looked at Lloyd with a mix of wonder and horror, horror winning out. "Tell me you've learned something from all those years of my teaching."
"Well Art, PE... and..."
"Sleeping standing up." Raine finished for him. "Why didn't you ever go to tutoring?"
"Umm well... I was kind of busy after school."
"What, playing?" Kratos growled, Genis blinked at the genuine anger, he was taking Lloyd's lack of knowledge pretty hard. But then Genis was like that once too, trying to explain and teach until Lloyd and him agreed it was just a waste of time.
"No!" Lloyd sounded offended. "I had to help Dad at home, and it take two hours to get from school to home and the second I got back I had to chop wood for the forge and get water for cooling off whatever project Dad was working on with the forge, after that I'd take over at the bellows a few hours -unless Genis or Colette comes over then I'm excused from that-, water and weed our garden if I need too, then cook dinner, then work on some smaller projects like carving or writing out measurements for Dad or going over Dad's measurements for a piece, then we eat, talk, I go take a walk with Noishe for a bit, work on some of my projects that I give to my friends, clean up for bed, stargaze, and go to bed."
Raine's mouth sagged open, as did everyone else's.
"Wow Lloyd you really are busy when you get home!" Colette chirped. "But don't you get tired?"
"Colette, I think that's why he sleeps in class."
"Umm you're not going to hit me with an eraser for talking when I'm not supposed to are you professor?"
"Well no, and I apologize I didn't know you were so busy after class, but perhaps if you came in before class starts I could tutor you then."
"You mean after I pick up the room, make breakfast and lunch, do the laundry..." The list of what he did in the morning was almost as long as the afternoon list.
"Just out of morbid curiosity what does your father do for a living, sleep all day?"
"Shut it Kratos!"
"Be logical Lloyd." The mercenary scolded, taking no insult with Lloyd's angry words. "With all you are doing..."
"He makes all, or most, of the projects we sell, plus he hunts, and he..." And yet another long list was offered.
"But as chief provider for the family he should take the bulk of the tasks..."
"We split it fifty fifty, you have a problem with that?"
"Several."
"Well it's not like we have an easy job like you all you have to do is-"
"Easy? You are grossly mistaken in that presumption young man-"
"Lloyd, Kratos, please don't fight!"
"Well I guess the study session is over," Raine smiled at their friends as Colette and Lloyd tried to out argue the mercenary, tried to persuade him that being a body guard was easier then being a craftsman, and were losing badly. "Are you ready Genis?"
"Yeah," Genis smiled even though his friends were fighting all around him. "Weird as it is I'm not all that nervous anymore."
"You have nothing to be nervous about; I know you'll do fine."
"Are you nervous Raine?"
"Just a little."
He hugged her, and she smiled, gave him a good luck pat on the head. There old joke was that Raine would run her fingers through his hair to pick up on some of his luck and some of her luck would brush up on him so they'd both have equal good luck. "You're the best and luckest thing to ever come into my life baby brother." Was what she had always told him since he was little. As she always said it without words when she ruffled his silver locks. Seeing that familiar grin on his face Raine made a face of her own.
"He's going to stomp you." Raine said, using her favorite Lloyd-ism.
"You know Kratos," Genis said hopping to Lloyd's defense, the mercenary had Lloyd on his knees, dazed and sword to the throat, at least argumentatively speaking. "On the scale of bulk physical labor you could say that craftsmanship is more taxing then mercenary work."
Kratos' excellent arguing skills began to fade as he had to argue and counter argue against three people simultaneously, his defense totally fell apart when Raine entered the fray, and the 'invincible' mercenary at that point met his match.
xxx xxx xxx
"Four hundred!" Genis squealed. "I tied with Raine!"
"You beat all of us!" Mighty gasped.
"Actually..." The professor flushed. "He beat me, I only got three hundred and ninety nine... I guess I need to take a math course with the younglings again." The old man smiled. "Congratulations Mr. Sage we'll hold your name on file and you can come back anytime to take classes."
"Thanks!"
"And if you could persuade your sister to come and teach we'll cut tuition fees in half."
"Raine..."
"We'll talk about it later Genis."
On the other side of the room a less cheerful ending was playing out.
"Twenty five..." Lloyd stared at his paper; the only questions he'd gotten right were the most minor sections on art, dwarven culture, and one history question that had to do with Kratos' merchant treaty.
"Out of four hundred." Kratos' voice was flecked with ice. "Boy, you and I are going to have a long talk latter."
"How come you got three hundred and eighty... you can't be that good!"
"Really?" Kratos' voice was soft, lethal, and promised hours of studying. "Try me."
"I can run really fast." Lloyd squeaked, shrinking back in his chair. "You have to catch me before you can make me study!"
"What did you just say?" Kratos hissed, grabbing the front of Lloyd's tunic.
"Nothing!" The young swordsman whimpered.
"Good."
xxx xxx xxx
"Four hundred!" Genis chirped. "I got four hundred!"
Genis had held up a composed and dignified air in the college but less then ten steps out of it had given into his childish side. He did a cartwheel, much to everyone's shock, right in the center of the street.
"How old is he?" Kratos muttered to Lloyd, the Iselian swordsman was a little aloof after Kratos had all but threatened to do bodily harm to him if he didn't do better next time they took a test here. Oh and there would be a next time, the mercenary had promised, he planned to drag Lloyd here after the journey just to make him take it again.
"Twelve."
"Ah that explains it, and how long is 'this' going to last?"
Lloyd grinned at Kratos.
"Oh maybe a week."
"What?"
"Seven days, a week."
"I know what a week is!"
"Why'd you ask then?"
"Don't court death so early in your life Lloyd."
"Yeah, no problem old man." Patting a very offended Kratos on the head he left the mercenary to catch up with Raine and Colette. There was no point in trying to keep up with Genis, he dashed ahead of them letting everyone know he got a perfect score on the entrance exam.
xxx xxx xxx
"Marche said the book of Regeneration was with the royal family, that Governor General Dorr has it now." Colette told them as they ate lunch at a small cafe. Kratos was being generous and had offered the meal as a gift of congratulations to Genis for his achievement. So they sipped on coffee, they had refused to give Genis coffee while he was hyper so he had tea, and nibbled on sandwiches while the people of the city flowed around the small tables that lay under the shade of a roof.
"Then the next course of logic would be to see this Governor General..." Kratos made a face as he bit into his sandwich, the first bite he'd had all day as far as Lloyd could tell. Opening the bread slices Lloyd glimpsed a bit of red, a tomato, and watched as Kratos picked it out. He stared at his meal for a bit then tossed it on the plate. "Anyone want this?"
"I'll trade," Lloyd offered, not wanting to see the man go hungry. "You mind lemon slices?"
"Not at all."
Both men ripped off the parts of the sandwiches they had last bit into and swapped plates. Lloyd got the tomato laced meal, which he picked out with more care then the mercenary had shown. It was probably the last time Kratos was ever going to let Colette order for him ever again. Having shrugged off her query of what he wanted for lunch Colette had grown indecisive. Not knowing what the mercenary liked Colette picked the sandwich that had everything in it, and there was a lot of nasty looking green things that he had to throw away because of that. Eggplant? Yuck! That joined the tomato with the green stringy things on the plate.
"What'd you get Colette?"
"Apple, jelly, and applesauce!"
"As a sandwich?" Lloyd managed to keep the 'eww' he was thinking out of his tone.
"Of course! It's really good!"
For something that was really good though she'd only had half a sandwich, if it was good she'd had eaten the whole thing. Guess even Colette couldn't eat that much sweet stuff in one serving.
"What kind of apple sauce is that?" Kratos asked, setting aside his half eaten half of Lloyd's sandwich.
"Mmm Cinnamon's mixed in so I think it's apple cinnamon sauce."
Kratos rose an eyebrow to convey his shock.
Lloyd chuckled at the older man's expression, Kratos'd get used to Colette's weird foods.
"So after we see Dorr then what?"
"The book should tell us our next step." Kratos thoughtfully picked up Colette and Genis' plates and whipped them off over the trash with a napkin. Lloyd frowned; two of those plates had a lot of food left on them. Catching his look the mercenary asked Lloyd what the matter was.
"Max's breakfast of half cooked fish has been making my stomach a bit touchy." The mercenary replied, he smiled slightly at Lloyd, not with his lips but somehow with his eyes.
"If you're feeling sick Mr. Aurion then you should have let me know." Raine snapped, after all him not telling her was a bit of a insult since she was supposed to be there doctor.
"It will pass on its own." The mercenary said coolly, turning down Raine's offer before she could voice it, his hostility firmly back in place in the blink of an eye.
"You are being stubborn, and a typical male in turning down my help, I could make it easier." Raine pointed out, spurred more on the need to be logical then in vain hope that Kratos would change his mind.
"I would rather let nature run her course. Magic has its place, nature has her place."
"And a certain mercenary has his place in annoying Raine." Lloyd whispered to a calmer Genis later on as they traveled through the city yet again on another search, this time for a building instead of a potion.
Genis chuckled, said something rather nasty about Kratos and Lloyd bit on his lip to keep from laughing.
"What was that?" Kratos murmured, playing the groups shadow once again. "I think I hear two children asking for a Raine'ing."
No way in this noisy street he couldn't have heard them...
"I can lip read, it's a hard skill to pick up but I have acquired it."
Wincing at the steel in Kratos' voice Lloyd understood that this was the one and only warning they were going to get.
xxx xxx xxx
"The Chosen?" Murmured the man in fine silk robes of his office, a golden chain hung about his neck and he looked at them with weary blue eyes. Stroking a grey streaked dirty blonde beard the man nodded to someone behind them. "Come closer so I may see the truth of this for myself."
In less then a moment guards grabbed his wrist, kicked his legs out from under him. Grunting in pain Lloyd lashed out, kicked blindly behind him, and someone stomped on his legs. Cursing Lloyd thrashed, and could not free himself from those steel sheathed hands. He could hear Genis cry out in pain, could hear Raine protesting. There was a grunt, a hissed curse, and the sound of steel rasping out of its sheath.
"Drop the blade merc." A young man snapped, he sat to Dorr's right hand side, a young girl of ten or so to his left gasped. "Draw blade on the captives."
Lloyd froze in his captor's grip, the blade gently guided him so that he had to look at the ceiling, to stare at the angels that gloomily stared back. He could not see anything but black winged men and woman garbed in smoke hued robes over a decimated city. Not recognizing the scene it was to represent Lloyd found that view rather fitting for his current situation, there gloom fell onto him and drained away his stubborn desperation to live. He heard a chair scrape against tile floor, heard the older man tell the younger to take Killia out of the room.
"Drop the blade or the swordsman dies first, then the woman, then the child." Came that harsh age roughed voice. "I do not wish to kill innocents put under your scam but I shall to prevent you from hurting my men."
There was a muffled thump, Kratos dropping his sword Lloyd guessed.
"Neil take Killia to our home, sweetling I'll explain this all later."
"Daddy!"
"Everything's fine dear heart, go along with Neil."
"Wait, please don't hurt anyone, I can prove I'm the Chosen, please!"
"You're a very gifted actor Ms. I'd almost believe you... but I try to be fair, if the mercenary allows my men to restrain him I shall give you your chance."
"Like you gave us the chance to even open our mouths when we..." Lloyd gasped in pain as a hand nearly ripped a fistful of hair from his head. "Son of a..." He croaked out a few oaths as his captor kicked him.
"Lloyd! Stop hurting him, stop hurting my friends!"
Lloyd could hear the tears on Colette's voice, it made him want to fight harder, but knowing his pain was making her cry he did something that went against everything he wanted to do. He went still, relaxed, and his captor stopped kicking him. Kratos was free, he could protect Colette, gritting his teeth against the pain to keep from crying himself Lloyd stared at the ceiling, aware of the cold steel that pressed against his neck.
"You have your chance, starting now."
There was a cold wrench in his gut. He listened to Colette's muttered prayers and could feel an unnatural wind ruffle his clothes. It carried the scent of spring flowers, or rain on fields of young grass, and was as bitter and harsh as winter. There was a flash of light, and the angels that he was forced to look at were washed away in wave of pink light.
"Look Daddy, look at her pretty wings!"
The hands suddenly let go and pulled him to his feet. After being tromped on so many times his legs didn't want to work, so his guard wound up half holding him up. He looked and gapped, Kratos had knocked one of the guards unconscious, he was sporting a small slash that ran across his chest but it did not bleed. Lloyd caught a glimpse of gold around the man's neck when he knelt by a dazed Genis. Wincing at the sight of that bruise and lump on Genis' head Lloyd knew that his friend's head -if nothing else- was killing him. Raine came to fetch her brother, holding the small elf in her hands she muttered a few words and a soft golden light gave Genis the appearance of a halo. Not liking that thought, not liking the sight of Colette's wings, Lloyd shrugged off his guards attempts to be kind and leaned against a tapestry covered wall. Panting out soft curses as his left leg decided it hated him more then his right Lloyd shifted his weight to his right leg and prayed the left wasn't broken.
"Are you well?" A cool hand slid over his shoulders, tried to coax him from the wall.
Shaking his head, half listening to the apologetic babble from Dorr and Neil showered on Colette and little Killia's attempts to play with Colette's wings, half aware that he was in the room and not drifting on winds of pain, Lloyd shrugged off Kratos' attempts to pull him away from the wall.
"Don't." He croaked, eyes seeing and not seeing. "Can't stand..."
"You're legs probably numbed from the abuse it took." A cold hand slid across the back of his hurt leg. Lloyd felt a wrench inside, a twisting shock, and then the pain died down a little.
"Did you just heal me?" He managed both gratitude and shock at the same time.
Kratos shrugged, a blush coloring his pale face with a hint of red. "I dabble; it comes when it comes, most of the time not at all."
"Human's can't... Well I guess some can..." Lloyd admitted, feeling rather dumb and weird like someone had scrambled his brains. "I feel kind of funny..."
"Another sign of my inaptitude in this. My healing leaves people disoriented for a bit, I tend to over do the pain block."
"Now I really can't walk..." Lloyd blurted, what little tact he had was now gone because of the feeling in his head. "I feel like I'm here and not here..."
"I'll have Raine look you over later, can you hold for now?"
"I think... I need to go outside." Yeah out sounded good... Away from the cold light, and the people yammering, and the guards, and everything. Even with his weird feeling in his head his anger for getting hurt was still there. He nodded to nothing in particular and let Kratos escort him out. From far away he heard someone ask what he was doing; Kratos said something and no one cared anymore. Feeling a real wind, not the cold un-wind on his face Lloyd felt his brain wake up just a little. Not caring he was the steps of the govenor general's office he sat and looked at the building. It looked a lot like the Martel temple Tylor served in, he thought fuzzily, didn't they know how to make non-church buildings, even the school had looked like a church. Lloyd sat on the steps, stared numbly at nothing. He was aware of Kratos' presence, the man didn't try to make him talk, and didn't comment on anything in particular, merely let his brain drift. The numb would have been scary had he cared, he would care latter, till then though he drifted and felt like a good breeze would unravel him to nothing. Slowly, very slowly he felt himself wake up by degrees, he began to note things and care about them, and the main thing he noted and cared for was that it was getting late, at least that's what the sun's position told him.
"So," Speaking wasn't so hard anymore, he was definitely kicking off this over done healing thing. "You know where there's an inn?"
"There's a street of them on the outer edge of town." Kratos said coolly. "There are of course less then respectable inns scattered about the city but the more prestigious inns are in on that street."
"You've been everywhere huh?" Lloyd was starting to feel sleepy and the idea of an inn sounded nice.
"I try." Kratos' lips curled into a small smile. "It keeps me employed; after all, with my job there is no surplus of offers in one area."
"You got a favorite place?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do."
"And I'll have to tie you to Noishe and have him run around in circles for an hour before you tell me right?"
"Torture? That seems out of character Lloyd. I wager Noishe would collapse from exhaustion if he had to carry me for an hour." Lloyd blinked at the joke and chuckled.
Kratos stared at the sky, at the gulls that wheeled like bits of rouge cloud, fading in and out of the white fluff filled skies, disappearing in the whole and darting out to dive at the sea or a passing boat. The mercenary caressed the hilt of his sword, wondered at something Lloyd probably couldn't even follow. It was amazing a little while ago he was fighting off all those guards for Colette, that before that he'd been playing cards, and took a huge test, and did all these things without getting tired or nothing. It was like the second they'd stepped out of Iselia on the day of the Oracle thing after thing popped up and he seemed to have his hands in it all… but then they all did. Maybe it was something about leaving home that did that, that made you do that.
"Would you mind answering a question?"
Lloyd shrugged, and Kratos took that as a sign to ask his second question.
"Do you have a favorite place?"
"I haven't seen everywhere so I can't say for sure if it's my all time fav place, but yeah, doesn't everyone?"
"Everyone is a very broad term Lloyd." Kratos scolded. "In my experience 'nothing' has ever applied to everyone. Since it seems as if Dorr is dragging things out in the room tell me of it."
When Lloyd described something, though the words were always simple there was a 'vein of passion to the words that opened a world' as Raine once described it. From time to time you could see as he saw, the boundary of different minds just faded away. Now was one of those times it seemed, he could almost smell the leaves in their piles at the base of trees. The trees were booted in autumn hued shoes, the apple tree that was lost in the mess 'wild' trees hung with orbs of rich crimson dangling from its branches. With the sweet taste of apple on the tongue and the calls of bird about there was a soft murmur of water caressing stone. A small stream that would tie into the stream that cut into the one which made it's way by Dirk's house was too shallow to house fish but served as a place where man child hood boats had crossed those low waves. In a dark place, hidden by leaves and branch was a grotto, between a mess of root and shadow a secret home where one could hide from the world.
"If you ever visit me and Dad I'll show you where it is, it's hard to find, really hard, because not even animals like to go there. You walk no path, and a tumble and fall later you're there." Lloyd said in conclusion, his eyes had lost a great deal of there glazing and he seemed almost normal again. "Your turn."
"My turn?"
"You need to play some games or something if the words 'your turn' confuse you, I'd help."
"Me, play a game?" Kratos snorted. "Honestly could you see me doing such a thing."
Thinking back on Kratos face when one of the children had ran to him during the tiger hunt Lloyd nodded.
"Hurmph, you're daft."
"Dad dropped me a few times, Noishe tackled me more then a few, and Raine smacks me on a regular basis, I've gotta be a little daft from all the blunt… What's Genis' word, tamu, trome, trauma?" Kratos confirmed Lloyd's lucky guess and Lloyd pressed on. "Trauma, that's it, to my head." Lloyd countered, flashing the mercenary a toothy grin.
"And you're proud of this why?"
"I dunno."
"Would you like to see it?" Kratos decided a change of subject was in order, he'd figure out how to better teach Lloyd later.
"Wha- Oh, sure, of course!"
"Later, not now." Kratos said, grabbling Lloyd's arm before he got up. "Let's get the others to the inn and I'll take you there before nightfall."
"Sounds good to me, whatdya think's taking them so long?"
There was a shriek of rage, a crash, and a howled string of profanities.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GAVE IT TO THE CHOSEN? WE'RE THE REAL CHOSEN GROUP!"
"Was… that Ms. Sage just now?" Kratos said, his voice while as cool as always was had a note of… fear in it.
"Yeah, she's never sounded that mad since she caught me teaching Genis how to swim, or last month even when me and Colette were kiss… erm nothing! Let's just stay out here, I like it outside. It's nice, quiet, and 'safe'."
Kratos was already getting up. "Come on, if it sounds as bad as I think it is then we'll be needed inside to save the governor general."
Remembering the guard who nearly broke his legs at Dorr's command Lloyd frowned.
"And why are we doing that again?"
"Appearances,"
"Alright I'm coming I'm coming."
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"You gave it to a group of people who just said they were the chosen, you humans are all the same! Do you even think or is that place for you're hair on- Ouch, Raine!"
"That was out of line, apologize!"
Kratos coughed, leaned against the door he had just closed while Lloyd went to the slightly more rational Colette to figure out what was going on. Of course it was obvious; someone posing at the Chosen had taken the book of Regeneration. It was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of the religious zeal that filled the world, saw past the glamer of prayers and angel feathers, and saw it as a tool to there own ends.
"Could you give us a description of the culprits Dorr?"
Frowning at being addressed with his common name Dorr glared at the mercenary.
"That proper form address is Governor-General Dorr Sir, I understand as a man from the other continent such a thing might be unknown to you but in PalmaCosta we like to be formal." Neil said not in a patronizing or insulting tone, but as a man seeking to merely correct.
"An emergency prevents niceties however, and this would qualify as a crisis." Kratos snapped, foot tapping a restless rhythm. "The more time we stay the harder it's going to be to capture these people and retrieve the book."
"What's so important about this book?" Lloyd asked, scratching at the back of his head.
"It tells us where all the seals are." Raine snapped. "Such a magnificent relic of ages past in the hands of mere thieves… we must find the book and preserve it from farther harm!"
"Ruin mode… no ruins… scary."
Raine hit Lloyd on the back of his head and Kratos winced in sympathy, if he had been so roughly handled since childhood it was a merical he still had any wit left. Perhaps Katos wouldn't be so harsh when he resumed giving lessons.
"We must find that book! Now!"
"It's not gunna magically appear because we want it to professor!" Lloyd took a step back as Raine's eyes narrowed. "Could someone just tell us what those guys looked like already?"
Neil offered a description, Dorr added a few things, and Killia stared at Colette's back which was missing those pink wings. She had a feather tucked behind her hair, a gifting from Colette Kratos figured, and lost in a wave of soft blonde hair the feather seemed to glitter like the palest of rubies. Interesting, while pink on her back they turned red when they fell. It was after a few moments of listening to the description that Kratos felt his anger return.
"Those bastards they make us get a potion even though they're thieves, no fair!" Lloyd howled, Dorr clapped his hand's over his little girl's ears and both politicians gave Lloyd a long look.
"Daddy did the loud man say any other bad words?"
"No dear, and he wont anymore." Dorr smiled down at his child, slid a hand though her hair and fondly kissed her. Looking up he turned again into the cold and demanding general who had seen far too many battles. "Whoever you are young man I do not appreciate you cursing in my daughter's presence."
"Alright, I'm leaving, sheesh."
"I'll go with him, maybe we can figure out where they went." Genis offered.
"Don't leave the plaza." Raine and Kratos said over their shoulders absently as the two walked out. Raine directing her comment at Genis and Kratos at Lloyd. Kratos mentally kicked himself for his lapse, and was surprised when Colette giggled at him. Both adults shared a look, not liking the playful happy glint in Colette's eyes, and almost as if on cue they took a step away from each other.
"So cute…" Colette giggled and when asked to explain she asked if she could go outside with Lloyd.
Worried and wondering Kratos listened to the full report Dorr gave him. Raine left, the mercenary remained a moment, wondering if he had heard something. He turned, stared at the guard, the lone guard standing watch over a blank wall.
"Good sir, certainly you have more important things to do then watch old Ferr at his job?"
What job, what man guards nothing? Biting down on those questions, alarmed that they had nearly broken to the surface, Kratos bowed to the men behind the horse shoe desk, and was greatly disturbed when Killia winked at him from her father's lap. Then nothing, she snuggled into her sire's lap and said she was sleepy, and Dorr admitted in a weary voice of his own that it had been a very long day. Neil gave him a meaningful look and jerked his head to the door.
Taking the hint Kratos turned on his heel and left, the last sight he had was a painful one. Of Dorr holding his child to his heart, smiling, the words of an old bed time tale falling from his lips.
"Once upon a time there existed a giant tree that was the source of all mana. A war, however…"
A war… Kratos firmly closed the doors of the building behind him, looked down at the children and teacher he was to protect.
The war never stopped, it changed, because in all wars we throw out children to a beast that's ever hungry, every thirsting for blood. We tell them stories and give them hope and armed with flawed weapons of optimism and prayers we send them to die. The beast might be different, the tales certainly are… But the blood seeped conscious and fields slowly filling with the dead that is all the same.
"Can you believe this Kratos! Man what a pack of filthy jerks!" Lloyd flared, wanting a more sympathetic and less on edge audience for his anger.
"Yes Lloyd… it is hard to believe." Kratos murmured absently, recalling Killia in Dorr's arms and seeing a time long long ago.
"Now what?"
Looking down at Lloyd Kratos sighed, pushed back memories that had no place for the time.
"You all will go to the inn… I will see what contacts I can dredge up and see where our query went."
"Sources?" Raine asked, an eyebrow rising. "Confidential I presume?"
"Strictly confidential, people who hunt for two legged prey do not like to make it a known fact."
"I'm lost?" Lloyd sighed.
"What are you talking about Mr. Kratos?"
Genis understood and shivered at the slight curl around Kratos' lips. It was a wolf's smile, a predator's smile. It belonged to a predator who found his pray a little more satisfying then the norm. He'd seen that look before they fought that thing at Ossa, that huge bone monster. Suddenly he wasn't going to put it off any longer, he closed his eyes and let go of the world for once second, letting a different Sight take him. Sandwiched between a writhing red mass and a familiar green gold, was a soft silver blue light. It was the color of winter, and the threads writhed and twisted, tangling itself into knots and straightening those tangles. They seemed soft, edged with fur… no not quite, but when he reached ever so slightly it was like grasping a handful of razors. Whimpering Genis dropped out of the weave, let the Sight slid away, and since no one was noticing him turned his hand over. Blood dripped from between his fingers, he quickly thrust it behind him. Only when Kratos left, giving Raine detailed directions to an inn he would meet them at, did he lift his gaze from the cobble stones. Had he seen, understood what Genis was trying to do or… was it just touch that triggered that horrible reflex. He mutely followed the others, let them lead, and while Colette and Lloyd went to there separate rooms he reached out with bloodied hand to tug Raine's sleeve.
"Genis!" She took his hand, was ready to start fussing over it and he pulled away.
"Raine… we need to talk, it's an emergency." Tears build in his eyes, fear and need warring in him.
"Alright," She draped a hand onto his shoulder and lead him to there room.
Xxx xxx xxx
"You did what?" Raine sputtered, giving her brother a long disappointed look. "There were at least a hundred people in that square…"
"I can focus it on someone and not have to look everywhere if I know what I want to See." Genis whispered as Raine worked the jell into his poor abused hand. "If I think of Lloyd even though there are a few walls between us I can See him. As long as there in a building with me or less then a mile away I can See them if I know they're there,. I have to Look for people if I don't know where there at and he was right there. Raine I want to leave, I want to go to another inn and just leave Kratos behind!"
"What did you see?" Raine whispered, holding him to her while he shook, already deciding that no matter what Genis said she would reconsider Kratos' presence amongst them. "Explain it to me was he fiery like the mayor and tried to burn you? Or like the snakes with Ivan?"
"No… He was… Cold. So cold, I went all cold Looking at him, like snow and ice but scary. It was silver streaked blue and there were gold threads hanging limp around it's side, a few, only a few seemed to drift off and connect with something or someone, I didn't follow them though." He sniffled sounding like the very young child he was and Raine decided she was going to hit Kratos a few times over this. To Hell with his threats, no one hurt her baby brother while she was around! "It was soft looking, so soft and I… Reached…"
"Have you ever done so before?" If so she wasn't aware, he'd never talked of reaching before.
"With you, when I'd get those… nightmares I'd touch you and the fear would just go away. It looked so soft Raine, so pretty like snow flakes and it cut me. He cut me. It's like if I touch you…" He gently tapped her shoulder. "But he just drew a sword… It's like touching someone like that and them sticking a knife in you… Not even Lloyd did that when I touched him, he was… having a nightmare when we were little and I Saw a little of it and that hurt but he didn't mean to and it didn't hurt me like this… When Lloyd realized I was in his head he threw me out so I wasn't trapped in the dream and this red light threw him back into the nightmare. He never thought anything of it; it was just part of his dream to him. But he wouldn't have thrown me out; Kratos was dragging me in and cutting me up and each cut I could see nightmares. A dead woman a monster with bloody hands and a dead little boy… And light, there was a cold light, I tried to run, to break it off… and I think he must of realized I was seeing things because he shoved me and I was able to break out of it. But even as he shoved the knives were pulling me in and I could see the weave sliding open."
"A word in a weave?" Raine whispered, stroking his hair and wondering how she could keep the mercenary at ease long enough when she walked up to him with her battle staff so she could get closed enough to grind off his male parts.
"I was going to see but that's when he shoved and I didn't want to see because it must have been awful."
"Could you reach for me? Just so the pain goes away and you can sleep? I want you to sleep on this and I promise I'll do something about that human. I won't let him touch you ever again…"
"Make him leave Raine, please make him leave! He scares me!"
"Shh it's alright, he wont hurt you ever again, I promise…" She stroked his hair and his eyes closed. She felt nothing, even though she was prepped to feel something there was nothing. But the fear faded and he quieted in her arms. With a sigh he fell asleep and she tucked him in kissing a pointed ear. Snatching up her staff she left the room, and spotting Colette going down the stairs to the loby she ordered the girl to her rooms.
"Stay there and lock the door, if I don't come to see you by morning I want you to go out the window and run back to the chapel and stay there."
Baffled yet not scared Colette did as she ordered, but then to Raine's knowledge Colette was as immune to fear as was Lloyd.
Lloyd… He was drawn to the mercenary, slowly being wheeled in by a gauntlet of knives to the man's center it seemed… Not anymore he wasn't. She spoted Lloyd and him in the loby, they looked as if ready to depart.
Like hell he was.
"Get away from my student!" Raine hissed, eyes mere slits. He last rational thought was 'so much for surprise'. Just the sight of him made her calm fly apart. "Lloyd go to my room and lock the door."
"Professor what's-"
NOW Lloyd!"
"But!"
The staff was raised threateningly, it seemed to weigh little more then air. Paling at that awful threat coupled with those thoughtless angry eyes Lloyd backed up, and He took position in front of her pupil.
"Lloyd." She said in a voice that was chillingly like her calm lecture tone. "I want you to look in on Genis, Kratos hurt him this afternoon and I want someone who can protect him by his side."
"What? He couldn't have hurt Genis he was with me!"
"I guess it comes down to whose side you are on then doesn't it? Don't betray us Lloyd, not like everyone else. Just go to the room and lock the door."
"Betray? Professor… I wont betray anyone… Look I'm not gunna go anywhere, I don't want you guys to fight and if I leave that's exactly what's gunna happen. He was with me Professor, sitting outside with me while I was sick, and you were with him or Genis all the other times right? So how can he have hurt…"
"Tell that to the knife cut on my brother's hand Lloyd."
Dead quiet filled the empty lobby as Lloyd tried to understand.
"Kratos, do you know anything?"
"Nothing," the mercenary whispered, and there was a hiss of blade sliding out of sheath. "But that won't stop me from acting."
"Yes, it will." Lloyd growled drawing his swords. "I don't care who starts it I'll step in and finish it."
"Be serious Lloyd." Kratos snorted, "You're no match for me."
"Me and Raine might just be enough, and if it isn't we can call Noishe, Colette and Genis if necessary."
"And if she strikes me?" Kratos whispered. Something in those eyes seemed to be breaking at every one of Lloyd's words. The young swordsman winced under the gaze, but he meant every word.
"I hate to hit a girl but I will."
"Lloyd…"
"Professor, I'm talking, let me finish. Kratos hand me your sword and knives, then I'm going to go to Raine and get her staff. I'll lock it all up in my room and then we'll sit down somewhere with a really nice 'long' table and talk. So," Lloyd was visible shaking from being on the brunt of both adults anger. "It's not do you trust each other, but do you trust me?"
Silence was felled by a hiss. Offering two knives hilt first Kratos then knelt and picked out a knife from each boot, another knife came from somewhere under that silly cape and then came the sword. Loaded down with more steel then he cared to think about Lloyd went to his teacher. She hesitated, stroked the wood and looked at him as if she'd never seen him before.
"Professor, don't betray me unless you feel you have to, unless you can't see another way then to betray me. I'm not turning my back on you, but neither of you make sense and if it doesn't make sense then doesn't that mean something's wrong, right? Don't tell me I slept through class that day when you said that too?"
He managed a slight smile, and in response to words or smile he'd never know which because even she didn't know. She gently lay her staff upon the pile of steel. Breathing a sigh of relief that both adult heard Lloyd worked his way up the stairs and left Raine and Kratos try to glare each other to death. He dumped the mess of weapons on Kratos' bed and made a panicked search. Opening his packs he rooted around and fishing out his last apple gel slid it into his pocket, something told him one of them would be needing it in a little bit.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"He has what?" Lloyd blinked at Raine dumbly, feeling like all the smarts he'd used to get them to this small parks long bench were all spent. He was sitting between the two adults and served as window and pincushion for death glares, at least at first.
"Sight… For the lack of better words 'it's an elf thing' some of us can see… He never explained it to me or maybe he couldn't explain to me what it was… and these things he sees tell a little about a person."
Kratos' brows knit together into a fierce scowl but before he could say something stupid Lloyd firmly stepped on his toe.
"Like what I'm thinking?"
"No, what you are… you're overall personality, mannerisms, and demeanor. At least that's how it sounds when he explained it."
"OK, so what do I look like?"
"I can't do it, only he can."
"And he's never looked at me, ever?"
"Once when you first met, and a handful of times after. He uses it to see if a person is dangerous or not, or to see if they're sick." Seeing his question she smiled. "He described you as red motion, firey but not burning, restless, with a few streaks of blue and gold in the mix. And I don't know what the colors mean; they seem to change meanings every time I ask. When he looked at Kratos with his Sight something he Saw cut him and he began to bleed, I had to use a jell and my mana to heal him."
And in saying that she was telling them just how deep that cut was, normally Raine could just seal a cut with a muttered word, it must have gone down to the bone.
"Kratos..." Lloyd didn't know where to go with this, didn't really have a question, but it seemed right that the man talk.
"He should not have done so without my permission Ms. Sage, I have violent enough physical reflexes it's a miracle that my 'thread' ones aren't as vicious."
"Tell me about it…" Lloyd grimaced, remembering Triet, he absently rubbed his throat and winced when he saw Kratos' guilty look. "Alright," He said more to keep Raine from questioning him then to honestly say what he though what a good idea would be. "How 'bout he looks at all of us? Reaches for all of us? And who ever hurts him has to leave."
"What!" Kratos growled, eyes narrowing to slits, and though he looked angry Lloyd could swear pain danced in his eyes.
"You'll know what's gunna happen, or what he's gunna do, so if you can't control it knowing that… It's like having someone who can't pull a thrust spar against you, it's that dangerous, and I won't let anyone who could hurt Genis stay, period."
"Your… logic is infallible it seems. I agree." Kratos said quietly. "On one condition, I want to know what he sees as he sees it. The information might be useful."
"It's not like you could use it." Raine growled, and Lloyd shifted uncomfortably since he was again being a living wall between the two angry adults.
"You never know." Kratos replied. "I might be able to."
"I swear he so much as develops one knick and I'll…"
"And he leaves." Lloyd finished for Raine. Knowing just how protective and violent Raine could get when Genis was concerned. He'd been on the brunt of her rages when he'd put them both in danger time and time again.
Xxx xxx xxx
"Weird…" Lloyd commented as Genis, holding his hand, eyes squinted up real tight, described what sounded like writhing spaghetti but what looked like liquid fire. "I can actually see it when I close my eyes."
"What!" Genis let go and the images went away. "You can't do that!"
"Can too, been doing it so there… but what were those weird gold things going off every which way?"
"But… only… I need to sit." Genis slumped on the floor before anyone could get him a chair. Colette had gone first and Lloyd had been a little wierded out by all the pink and fuzzy things in Colette, but after a while figured he shouldn't have been too surprised.
"What's wrong?" Lloyd blinked, he'd kind of liked seeing inside, and wondered if he could do something with it in his carving.
"Only magi can… but you're not a wizard, and I know you're not a half elf."
"Maybe I'm a fourth or eighth, or something." Lloyd shrugged, rubbing his exsphere. "All we know for sure was Mom looked human, at least that's what Dad said. My human Dad could've been a half elf or something for all we know. And don't I use magic when I do that silver thingie with my sword?"
"Demon fang," Kratos said coolly, his eyes thoughtful. "But a tech is not the same as a spell."
"Demon what a what?"
"Demon fang," Kratos rolled his eyes, "my name for it anyway."
"Demon fang, I like it… but why'd you call it that?"
"Because when I was young and arrogant I thought flashy names were wonderful things so I named all my techs, after years of calling them that I can't seem to break the habit."
"So that thing you did to the skeleton?"
"Double demon fang, in my youth I imagined myself to be something of a creative genius." Kratos seemed to smile with his eyes, and seemed somehow pleased with the description Genis had tagged to Lloyd.
"Huh," Lloyd looked down at Genis. "So why can't I see this thing?"
"Elves, half elves, and anyone with even a hint of elvish blood take mana from the world around them. An elf takes up a tiny bit, a half elf a great deal, and a human reflects mana, like light reflects off a mirror. Human's can't use mana because they can'
t take it in, it's almost like you're allergic to it. A tech like Demon Fang doesn't use mana it takes physical energy and your will, you gather all the strength in the swing and throw it across the ground. But if you don't move, don't swing you can't throw the energy, someone with elf blood can throw the energy without moving. It's rather simplified version of the full explanation but…"
"'Simplified?' " Lloyd snorted. "My head's already hurting, I don't wanna hear complex!"
"You could just be enhancing my magic, like how when throwing concentrated light on a mirror it makes a bright flash and you're Seeing by the flash…"
"But if I'm allergic then it'd be like Noishe eating peppers, I'd get all sneezey and runny eyed right?"
Genis frowned, thought it over and only said.
"Maybe you're part elf after all."
"That would be a horrible circumstance." Raine said, looking at Lloyd with a pity he didn't get.
"How so?" Genis seemed almost happy to hear Lloyd was part elf.
"Lloyd's mother was in a ranch… if he was conceived within then there is only one way Lloyd could have come into being…"
"Damn it…" Lloyd hissed as if in pain, Raine started to go to him but backed off seeing it was only a pain in his heart. Mind reeling from that possibility, that horrible possibility he buried it in vehamince. "No, I won't believe that! Mom was waiting for Dad, she said he'd come to take me home!"
"He never came Lloyd, and if your mother was hurt…" The professor said in a soft gentle voice, reaching out to stroke his hair.
"I wont believe that, ever!" He growled, shooting to his feet, shrugging of Raine's touch and going for the door. The door opened and slammed closed.
"Let it go Ms. Sage… I think this exercise is over for now, you can just do me tomorrow Mr. Sage, you appear weary anyway." Kratos stood. "I'll see to sleeping somewhere else tonight until trust is… restored. Rest well Chosen."
"Good night Kratos." Colette waved and he did not respond, only went to Lloyd's room to fetch his sword.
"Good night Genis, Professor." Colette got up and gently kissed her friend on his head. "It's not your fault, you didn't hurt him OK?"
"Okay…" Genis could not meet Colette's eyes.
"I didn't mean it like that… I thought if he was half elf he'd be more like us…" Genis whispered when he was alone with his sister.
"I know," Raine scooped Genis in her arms, held him close. "But even though that's what you want it's not what Lloyd is. We don't know who he is, he doesn't know, and all I know is that not knowing hurts."
"We didn't, it wasn't like that with us was it?"
"No, Mother loved Father, but Father died right after you were born, it was never like that at all."
"What happened Raine, why aren't we with Mother anymore?"
"When you're older I promise, I promise to tell you everything I remember, but not now. Go to bed… You were very brave today, and I promise even if he stays I won't let him be with you alone. You'll always have me or Lloyd or Colette by you."
"Lloyd likes him, so does Colette…"
"Colette would make friends with a skunk and not care if it sprayed her." Raine pointed out, never knowing that Phardia and Frank had that situation happen to them when Colette was eight and they had made there home to a skunk and it's family because they could not convince Colette "Mr. Stripes" was not a doggie. "And Lloyd… We need to talk about Lloyd and Kratos for a little. You see, Kratos lost his family, he told me in Izoold he lost his family, and he thinks Lloyd…"
"Is his son," Genis finished. "One of the things I saw was a little boy who was dead… I thought… it was me for a little bit… But he had brown hair, the little boy had brown hair and there was so much blood…"
"It's not real, not for you or me. It happened to 'him' and it wont happen to us, I won't let it." She held her brother and he curled up in her lap like so many times before. "All we have is us Genis, we have friends yes, but in the end its always is me and you. Don't forget that, I'll always protect you, I'll always love you, when everything goes away and time passes them all by as it has to I'll be here."
"Promise?" Genis whispered.
"Cross my heart..."
"Why can't it be more then us…" Genis whispered, staring at the darkening room and remembering a warm smile and the soft touch of a hand ruffling his wild locks. "Why can't we open up to them, tell at least Lloyd…"
"We can't Genis, I know it hurts sometimes to be alone like we are, but we're different from them, they can never know how different or they'll turn on us."
But one human did know, she had died yes, like all humans did in the end. She had known and not cared, and smiled at him, told him how to make the chocolate chip cookies Colette and Lloyd loved. She had promised, if she was saved, to make him a batch, just for him. Holding onto his sister he wept silent still crystal tears into the shadows, and ached for only having one person when he wanted so many more. His want poisoned with guilt, the guilt of not loving his sister enough, he closed his eyes and slid into slumber.
Xxx xxx xxx xx
"It can't be true, can it?" He whispered, going over everything Dad had ever told him about his Mom and wondering what he hadn't been told. Tylor had opened that horrible possibility that Dad knew more then he was telling, all by saying that Lloyd used to run away. Tylor never meant to hurt, neither did Genis, but it still hurt. He grabbed a pillow and threw it against the wall, making the wall thump and someone one the other side kicked back to show how angry they were. Angry they didn't know the meaning of the word angry, he'd show them! But no one came, and he didn't feel like getting up to yell at someone he didn't know. Another pillow smashed against the roof and he was out of ammunition rolling around with a restless energy and frustration that had no outlet he tangled in the blanket feeling absolutely worthless.
Kratos, on leaving, had given him a butt load of homework. Probably just to keep him from thinking. Phht, fat chance of that happening, Lloyd couldn't get immersed in books like Genis and Raine, so the plan failed.
"How's that make you feel Kratos? Your big idea failed!" He screamed, his words were met with a few thumps on all sides now, sheesh he was even annoying the help in the hallway.
He dragged himself to Kratos' bed and since he wasn't there threw those pillows into the gathering gloom. Whoever it was on the other side of the wall yelled a profanity, something about him eating his male hood would be an improvement. Growling Lloyd threw the blanket, but it only flew open and drifted to the floor. No satisfying thump there, he ripped at the mattress with restless fingers and worked off the covering blankets. He came to himself as if someone had doused him with cold water. He was literally ripping this room apart in frustration, in anger; it was a slow destruction, but destruction all the same. He had to get out before he ripped the pillows apart and started tearing up the feathers inside. He stood, took his swords as an afterthought, and locked the room behind him. He couldn't come back tonight; being alone was just too much, he kicked the key under Raine's door and decided that if he came back before morning he'd hang with Noishe.
Now that he was decided to head out where too? He stared at the very active taverns and houses around him. Blinked at the candle and tourch light that flooded the streets and played heck with the shadows. The city and night made the alleys seem like sinister gapping wounds and the open paths to be paved in gold stone. He was tempted by the sounds of laughter and music that crept from the taverns to go in… but Izoold had forever turned those places into forbidden zones. The old fear and horror he'd seen in his first was going to be his last. He'd never set foot in a tavern if he could help it.
That option closed, not liking the look of some of the smoke wreathed buildings that had hints of laughter, and not fool enough to linger in the shadowy places he wondered why he'd come out here for. He could just go to Noishe, but the thought of lying down with Noishe, trying to sleep made the restlessness come back. Well there was one place he knew his way too, he could go to the chapel, service was over already maybe they'd let him see Tylor. Liking that option, for it gave him someone to talk to who could talk back, Lloyd gripped the hilt of his blades and walked the golden road streaked with darkness.